House Vela
House Vela House Vela is one of the Houses Major. They are the keepers of the star charts and builders of the Great Library Server. As a major player in the sector, House Vela's political and economical decisions and moves are contributing to shaping the fate of the sector. For main article, see 'House Vela Faction Turn Fluff'' Place within The Empire House Vela's responsibilities within The Empire are twofold: '''Keepers of History The Great Library Server of Eskendria is the biggest library and server in the known universe. Some say the records of House Vela go back to the time where humans first discovered the Acheron Rho sector. There are rumors that Velan record keeping dates back to times before humans ventured from Earth. But no-one has been able to verify this so far. Keepers of Star Charts & Teachers of Navigation House Vela has the monopoly on creating, storing, and updating star charts. The Lighthouse Integrated Navigation & Exploration System (LINES) is used by every ship in the sector. LINES is updated by Velan Khutat on a daily basis. Updates to LINES can be acquired either as package deal or through a subscription service. Hiring a Navigator of House Vela usually comes with a free update to LINES. Updates to LINES are distributed via the Sector wide Network of Obelisks. LINES also provides a free monthly navigational forecast for the Acheron Rho sector, that gets distributed by PRISM as widely as possible. For main article, see 'LINES Navigational Forecast'' Velan universities are the only ones allowed to train people in navigation. Imperial law requires a House Vela or Vela-trained navigator aboard every star ship operating in sector Acheron Rho. '''Velan Sector Catalogue Number When first mapping the sector, House Vela had to find a way to number the different sector regions in an easy to understand manner. The House's navigators came up with a simple system of combining two number pairs to be able to translate drive space into a simple 2D representation. These numbers are known as Velan Sector Catalogue Numbers (VSCN) or Hex Numbers (Hex#). Vela Navigators Vela Navigators are easily recognizable by their bright Velan Blue uniform with face veil. They are praised as the most talented navigators in the system and are sworn to absolute neutrality while serving on a ship. Seeing the face of an on-duty Vela Navigator is considered bad luck. Attacking a Vela Navigator is a major criminal offence. All Vela nobles have served at least four years as Navigators on a ship. Not serving as Navigator leads to getting stripped of your noble title. This rule excludes the Royal Family, but many Royals make it a point of honor to get trained as navigators and serve their four years. They are usually stationed on Royal ships though. Immersion and the Zen of Navigation According to House Vela, the ability to interpret and use the Star Charts is learned and only available in the mind of a Navigator. While candidates from outside of House Vela learn this on a solely scientific basis, House Vela Navigators take a different approach to navigating ships. They focus their mind through ancient meditation practices when they don their veil. Commonly this is known as Navigator Trance or Immersion. Because of this many more traditional Velans call their House Navigators "Immersers." Technically Vela Navigators aren't doing anything different than any other navigator. Their spiritual preparation and almost religious dedication to the craft make it seem different in the eyes of the public though. Synth Navigators There are rumours that some projects and collaborations with House Cygnus were approved to teach highly developed Synths in navigation. House Vela denies this vehemently. Places of Influence Homeworld & Home System House Vela's primary star system is Perithr in Hex 0606. House Vela's home planet and center of government is the planet of [[Haqani|'Haqani']], an atmospherically-corrosive world with a strange and alien biosphere that is immiscible and deadly to humans. All of Haqani's population resides in subterranean habitat cities built long before the Scream to protect the population from the elements. Much of House Vela's other major infrastructure, like the Great Library and the College of Navigation, can be found on the moon of [[Pharos|'Pharos']]. The moon has become a major destination for business and diplomatic visits, though it is only secondary in importance to Haqani on that front. History of House Vela Pre-Scream According to House Vela's history, the House has always been the keeper of knowledge and the star charts. The House still mourns its Great Library lost in the Scream and desperately tries to recreate this fountain of knowledge. The Rebuilding After the Scream in 2665, the citizens of the Empire were separated and trapped on their planets. After House Fornax reinvented the modern Spike drive in 2671, [[House Fornax|'Houses Fornax']] and Vela worked together to remap the system. Many of the ships provided by House Fornax and mainly crewed and navigated by House Vela, were lost in this endeavor. With the finished map of Acheron Rho unveiled by House Vela in 2792, the Houses of The Empire came together for the first time in 2800 to commemorate the brave explorers, who sacrificed their lives for the unity of The Empire. For main article, see 'Crews lost during The Rebuilding'' Emperox VIII The VIII. Emperox, was Emperox Vela Padma Noy, also known as '''The Shining Star. The Shining Star's reign was a time of peace and prosperity. Promoting collaboration between the Houses, as well as between the Houses, Churches, and the private sector, Emperox Vela Padma Noy fostered an atmosphere of innovation and creativity. The Empire saw an immense growth in wealth and technological improvements during their reign. For main article, see 'The Shining Star'' Organization of House Vela House Government & Political System House Vela mainly understands itself as a '''democratic meritocracy, but officially the House is a constitutional monarchy with a member of the Royal Family as Head of State. Outside of the Royal Family every single titled member of the House has served as a navigator on a ship to prove their dedication and loyalty to House Vela. Many nobles of the House proudly display their merits in the form of medals, pins, sashes, stoles, or rings. For main article, see 'House Vela's Honors'' The '''Velan parliament is called the Grand Forum and is located underneath the original landing site on [[Haqani|'Haqani']]. Every titled member of House Vela, regardless of age or accomplishments, has a seat and voice in the Grand Forum. Every four years the Grand Forum elects House Vela's leadership, the Raja and Rani, a diarchy. The Raja is responsible for defense and internal affairs, while the Rani looks after diplomacy and external affairs. The Royal Family & The Council of 12 The Royal Family of House Vela can trace their line back to the [[History of Acheron Rho#The Age of Colonization|'Age of Colonization']] and the first human settlement on [[Imperial Prime (Planet)|'Imperial Prime']]. They were always a voice of reason and moderation in the sector, promoting cool reasoning, technological advancement, and peaceful cooperation. Several members of the Royal Family sacrificed their lives in the efforts to recreate the map of the sector during [[History of Acheron Rho#The Rebuilding|'The Rebuilding']]. The challenges during these dark times have forged strong bonds with [[House Fornax|'House Fornax']], bonds that led to several Royal marriages with [[Fornax|'Fornax']] spouses. The Royal Šāh The Royal Šāh is the Head of the Royal Family and highest member of House Vela. The Royal Šāh also acts as a non-party political Head of State. While the Royal Šāh holds formal authority and the government legally operates in the monarch's name, in modern times the Royal Šāh no longer personally sets public policy or chooses political leaders. Instead they entrust the day-to-day politics to the elected officials, Raja and Rani. All this changes when House Vela takes up the mantle of Emperox. The Royal Šāh becomes Emperox and their rule over the sector is absolute. Members of the Royal Family dedicate their lives to the study of imperial history, government, and politics so that House Vela always maintains a worthy Šāh candidate for the Imperial Throne. The [[History of Acheron Rho#3062: Emperox VIII|'reign of the']] Emperox [[The Shining Star|'The Shining Star']] set a precedent more in line with modern Velan political structures though, as the Velan Emperox appointed both Rani and Raja as their personal advisers. The Council of 12 For the longest time Velan Society was organized as absolute monarchy, with the Royal Šāh wielding unrestricted political power over the sovereign state and its people. The only advisers that could influence the monarch's decisions was a council of the 12 oldest families of the House, known as the Council of 12. They together with the Royal Family were instrumental in driving House Vela to rediscover the map of Acheron Rho. Horrified by the reign of [[The Blood Eagle|'The Blood Eagle']], Velan society quickly reformed with the full support of the Royal Family. The Grand Forum soon replaced the Council of 12, but the 12 families, also known as "The 12," are still very influential within House Vela. For main article, see 'House Vela's Council of 12'' The Four Branches of Velan Society All titled members of House Vela are part of one of '''four branches of Velan Society. Most of the titles associated with the branches were gendered once, but House Vela no longer uses them this way. Velans choose which version of a title they wish to use and no roles are restricted by gender. Those Who Lead Raja: A role that oversees the internal affairs of house Vela. They are represented as the Heart. There is only one Raja at any given time. Rani: A role that oversees the external affairs of house Vela. They are represented as the Hand. There is only one Rani at any given time. Emir / Emira / Emirox (alt. spelling: Ameer / Ameerah / Ameerox): These titles represent the politicians of the Velan forum. They are either elected officials or born nobility (most of the time: both). Emir usually are more closely related to internal affairs and the functions of the Raja, while Emira tend to work closely with the Rani on foreign policy. Various other titles from various cultural backgrounds are not exactly common, but also in use. Rasul: Each Rasul works as direct correspondent to at least one of the other houses or factions. Their role as a liaison between the ruling parties. They report directly to the Rani with any request for audience or offers of treaties. Those Who Know Teaching navigation is mainly a 1:1 mentorship and less like a traditional university course. The time to teach a navigator can vary wildly depending on the aptitude of the candidate and the quality of their relationship with the teacher. But the time frame to go from an apprentice to a full navigator is between 4-12 years. Khutat: Responsible for validating, curating and updating information stored in the Great Library including the Star Charts. Responsible for maintaining the servers of the Great Library. Ustadh: Teachers of Navigation. They are directly responsible for the rigorous vetting process, teaching Talibs and approving their graduation. Eamid: Administrators and leaders of the Great Library and teaching institutions. In charge of all Academic personnel including Fakri, Ustadh, and Khutats, their funding and the Curriculum. Fakri: Lead research projects in order to discover new knowledge and add it to the Library. Sometimes they are less reliably contactable, no-one knows why. Those Who Guide Talib: The Talib are Navigators in training, studying under a Ustadh. Immerser / Navigator: Currently active Navigators. In Velan tradition Navigators tend to call themselves Immersers, it is more preference based amongst Velans to be called Immerser or Navigator. Immerser is the more traditional, Navigator the more colloquially used title. However, Navigators who are not Velan are always referred to simply as Navigators. Sheikh / Sheikha / Sheikhx: Sheikhs are distinguished members of any branch with minimum 40 years service to the House total. They are the spiritual guides of the House. They can be found around the system, they collect and distribute information to passing Velans. Those Who Protect The military force of the House, known as Vikeli ('''Zulu etymological root as “sailors” and “protectors”), or simply '''The Protectors . Mainly visible as they accompany Navigators (depending on the safety of the customer and route) and guard House Vela’s Great Library and College of Navigation. The Nature of House Vela's military consists of a very small, specialized military with an emphasis on special forces, covert ops, logistics, and general security. The Vikeli (or Protectors) standing force is a Solar military, consisting of both nobles and serfs serving House Vela's interests. In addition to the Solar military, House Vela does have an Aquilan garrison stationed on Pharos. Oramiral: Top attainable rank in the Velan military. Equivalent of Admirals/Generals, high strategic command, run the official military operations of the Protectors branch. Can also take direct command in the field. Commands the military fleets of the Vela, under the command of the Raja, oversees inbound/outbound ships of royalty and diplomats and can pass down/delegate orders to other Protector ranks. Becoming an Oramiral requires rigorous experience as a Navigator and any Protector rank (preferably a Cavus(for long-term exposure on a ship) or Musir (for tactical leadership)). * Kaymakam - High level officer below Oramiral, equivalent to ship Captains IRL, like the Captain of the Crux ship in the show. From the Ottoman Empire. * Kolaghassi '- Senior officer below Kaymakam, basically the second-in-command of a ship like a first officer IRL. Basically Booker on the show. From the Ottoman Empire. '''Musir '(Field Marshal): Musir are the Black Ops and Police Force of House Vela. They are Noble elite intelligence officers, operating as specialists within the Protectors. Like CIA operators. Have wide oversight over much covert and intelligence operations within House Vela. Have a high degree of independence within the Protector command structure. The Musir also act as primary investigators (internal and external affairs like an FBI or NSA), lead black-ops missions with Shamshir and Immortals under the orders of Oramiral’s and Raja (Rani as well) they are primarily concerned with gathering intelligence, dealing with internal threats (traitors, etc.), and providing Shamshir with targets for external threats.. Musir work closely with the Rasul and Raja in information gathering and certain aspects of subterfuge as well. Becoming a Musir requires the standard navigator training along with special Protector(military) service. '''Shamshir (The Sword): Noble elite special forces officers,operating as specialists within the Protectors. Like Navy Seal operators. Have wide oversight over special military operations within House Vela. Often takes command over Fāris and Ranger operations, and may sometimes work closely with Musir handlers and operations overseers. Have a high degree of independence within the Protector command structure. Immortals: The Immortals are ace fighter / mech pilots. They are charged with protecting Haqani and Pharos as a last line of defense. The Immortals gain their name from the mechs they operate, and their long history. These mechs are outfitted with tech developed through researching the alien ruins on Haqani, enabling them to withstand its highly corrosive atmosphere. Throughout the entire history of House Vela it is said not one mech has been destroyed in battle. There is a set number of Immortals at all times and a new Immortal must gain their place by replacing a retiring / fallen Immortal. Cavus: The Cavus serve as bodyguards for the Navigators. There are usually 1-2 Cavus per Navigator. Umzingeli / Abazingeli (plural) - Haqani Rangers. They do not leave Haqani. Derived from the Zulu word for "hunter". Duties: 1) Security for Haqani environmental survey corps, keeping up to date on weather and wildlife. 2) Search-and-rescue specialists. 3) Combat survival experts explicitly trained for Haqani defense. Jemadar - Junior officers, lowest noble rank in the military, they do low-level officer work. Equivalent of Yancy on the show. From India. Faris - Commoner military police for general local security. Culture Important cultural artifacts * The Great Library Server of Eskendria, on the moon of [[Pharos|'Pharos']] * The College of Navigation, on the moon of [[Pharos|'Pharos']] * Lighthouse Integrated Navigation & Exploration System (LINES), on the moon of [[Pharos|'Pharos']] * The Network of Obelisks distributing LINES * A great memorial to the many crews lost while re-charting the sector after the Scream, on Haqani * The Grand Forum, on Haqani * Alien ruins, on Haqani Language & Cultural Background House Vela is primarily rooted in Middle Eastern, North African, and Indian / Pakistani traditions. The predominant languages spoken are Arabic, Farsi, Turkish, Hindi, Urdu, and Hausa. Get some first impressions of the Velan Society here. House Vela is very diverse, not only in cultures of Origin, but also in current duties, places of birth, and philosophies. There are 4 very clearly distinguishable cultural backgrounds in House Vela, or rather 3, as one the cultural groups left the House to form House Pyxis. Cultural Background: Haqani Haqani is the origin and heartland of House Vela. It’s the place where the old noble families reside and where the Houses politics are made. Haqani’s citizens are usually conservative and fiercely loyal to the House. They are proud of their accomplishments and perseverance, always prepared for new catastrophes, and mistrustful of everything and everyone non-Velan. This can border on isolationism. Traditional roles: Politicians, protectors, and historians Predominant religion: High Church, stronger than ever since The Shining Star was Emperox Common sayings: * Haqani and proud. * Strong as Her bones. * We can do it! * What have they ever done for us? Cultural Background: Pharos Pharos is the intellectual hub of House Vela. The moon’s citizens enjoy scientific and philosophical debates and are used to collaboration with all other Houses and corporate entities. Pharos’s citizens are usually open, poly-glottal, and eager to engage in debate. They are open to adopting new ideas and run experiments. This can border on recklessness. Traditional roles: Scientists, teachers, programmers, and navigators Predominant religion: High Church or Church of Humanity, in general less religious than other Velans Common sayings: * WDLS (What does the Library say?) * Sometimes you just have to try. * Smells like discoveries! * Debate me! Cultural Background: Sumgin 2, Maintenance Ships, Shuttle Service, "Trade" Network The orbit around Haqani is very busy and many Velans maintaining the space station and ships around the planet never travel down the gravity well. Instead they live in tight-knit families and crews on their ships. They uphold old traditions from before landfall and see themselves as the grease that keeps the system going. These "spacer" Velans are usually practical and goal oriented. They follow a "live and let live" philosophy, but are fiercely protective of their House. Many see themselves as the first line of defense for Haqani and Pharos. Traditional roles: Engineers, mechanics, navigators, protectors Predominant religion: Many follow the old Soul ex Sol religion, although they are not agreeing with many aspects of the Church of Humanity. Common sayings: * Nothing a bit of wire can’t fix. * Crew is family, family is crew. * Eyes to the stars. * Live in the now. Cultural Background: Exploration Fleet The crews and families of House Vela’s exploration fleet were a key factor in the remapping of the sector. They were driven by scientific curiosity and a desire for discovery. During the reign of The Shining Star this part of the House split off to form House Pyxis. The Family Structure Education Lycaeum Whether a Noble of House Vela or a commoner living under their auspices most schooling starts at home with parents teaching their children up until the age of eight. At eight they will enter the public schooling system by attending a Lycaeum. Lycaeum are ultimately run by the Eamid but most Lycaeum are run day to day by the student body in order to teach leadership and administration skills. Additionally older students will be encouraged to teach younger students on subjects that interest them. There are no exams to sit simply research projects that are graded accordingly by the Eamid and those working under them, these are also passed to the Khutat to be added to the Great Library if appropriate. Students leave the Lycaeum once they are fourteen and have handed in a final dissertation. Musaeum Following education as a Lycaeum most will attend a Musaeum. Musaeums will focus in on a students main area of interest and train them to be experts in that particular field. The subject area of navigation is given special attention and taught differently to the rest. Nobles who wish to become navigators are trained at the Velan College of Navigation at the Musaeum on Pharos. Non-nobles may attend the Eskendria Navigation College and Research Institute to receive training in navigation if they are a recipient of a Noble or Corporate Sponsorship. The facilities are slightly less impressive but the same level of care is taken to ensure students attending are as competent a navigator as if they had been born noble. Nobles sometimes use this Musaeum for refresher courses. For other subjects any Musaeum will teach the subject to anyone, though Nobles tend to attend the Musaeum at Alexandria and a select few others while Non-nobles attend the others in a similar manner creating a degree of separation. Rites of passage Marriage, Old age and Death Marriage Practices Group marriage is very common in House Vela. In fact every marriage contract has the option to add more spouses later on so long as everyone in the marriage agrees to this. While many Nobles arrange marriages to solidify contracts and ties between families and Houses, love marriages are also not entirely uncommon. Burial Rites It is customary for Velan nobles to be shot into the star of the nearest solar system, although many of the more prominent families are bringing their dead home to Haqani or Pharos for funeral ceremonies, culminating in shooting the deceased into Perithr. This way the Vela noble sails for one last time "On Sails of Light." This manifests the Velan believe that they reach a state of Nirvana and become one with the universe after death or reincarnate. The funeral often includes a religious ceremony performed by a [[House Lyra#Neshmet|'Lyran Neshmet']] and a priest of [[The High Church of Messiah-as-Emperor|'The High Church of Messiah-as-Emperor']]. This burial tradition goes back to the [[History of Acheron Rho#The Rebuilding|'Age of Rebuilding']] after [[The Scream|'The Scream']] when many Velan ships set out to rediscover the worlds of the sector to recreate the star charts. Velan sacrifices were high and burials held wherever the ship was at the moment as it wasn't guaranteed that the crew would return to the Perithr[[Perithr| system]]. An important part of House Vela's burial traditions is remembrance. Each Velan becomes part of the living memory of the House in form of the Great Library Server. Memorial celebrations and the "speaking of the name" also play a big part in this. Religious Practices House Vela doesn't have any restrictions when it comes to religious practices and any Velan can believe whatever they want. Predominant Religions The High Church of Messiah-as-Emperor The overwhelming majority of the nobles of the House as well as the citizens of Haqani and the whole Perithr system are in favor of the High Church. This support was always strong, but became almost fanatical when The Shining Star took the Throne. The Church of Humanity, Repentant The Church of Humanity has some supporters, mainly in the scientific community of Pharos. Soul ex Sol Technically also a part of the Church of Humanity, Soul ex Sol has its origin in the spacer culture in Haqani's oribit. The Velan version of the sect is solely focused on the warship of stars as source of life and light. According to them every human carries The Light in themselves and is responsible for spreading it by living a good life and performing acts of kindness. This "Old Religion" is not aligned with the more modern aspects of the Church of Humanity like the need for atonement or anyone but humans carrying the Light Within (= having a soul). Meditation & Navigation Navigation was always a big part of House Vela and some Velan navigators take this to an almost zealous extreme. Their lives revolve around navigation and their attempts to reach the perfect state of Immersion. To this end they spend a lot of time studying the stars and star charts as well as practicing meditation. This can be either in the form of seated Zen meditation or Sufi dancing. Their goal is to achieve a transcendent state that lets the Navigator become one with the universe while still alive. The Speaking of Names For House Vela everything that exists needs to be cataloged in the Great Library. Over the course of the centuries this also has lead to a believe in the reverse: Only what is part of the Great Library truly exists. Combined with the Velan believe that they reach a state of Nirvana and become one with the universe after death or reincarnate, this lead to the tradition of the Speaking of Names. The life and deeds of the dead are diligently recorded in the the Great Library and during festivals or anniversaries, the names of the dead are read out loud to keep them in the living memory of the House. Proverbs, Sayings & Greetings Velan proverbs, sayings, and greetings revolve heavily around naval traditions and navigation, as well as the preservation and gathering of knowledge. Haqani's corrosive atmosphere and immiscible biosphere has also influenced Velan sayings, as being outside has become synonymous with a hostile environment. For main article, see 'Velan Proverbs, Sayings, and Greetings'' Fashion Velans usually wear '''long, flowing garments in bright colors, although many Nobles of House Vela tend to wear blue. Velan culture doesn't have any gender restrictions when it comes to fashion, everyone can wear whatever they want. All Nobles of House Vela wear a face veil to indicate that they are trained Vela Navigators, although some have it only attached to one side of their face. Many non-noble citizens imitate this in their fashion choices and face veils can be seen worn by all classes on Haqani and Pharos. Fabrics are often heavily decorated with prints, appliqués, or embroidery. Accessories like turbans, shawls, stoles, canes are also very popular, as well as filigrane jewelry. (Expand gallery to the right) VelanFashion2.jpg VelanFashion3.jpg VelanFashion4.jpg VelanFashion5.jpg VelanFashion6.jpg VelanFashion7.jpg VelanFashion8.jpg VelanFashion9.jpg VelanFashion10.jpg VelanFashion11.jpg VelanFashion12.jpg Holidays The Great Journey The Great Journey is a holiday hosted by the noble Houses Vela, Fornax, and Pyxis, held in recognition of the sacrifices made during the reunification of The Empire. The festivities take place over the course of a number of days in the month of January, during which the celebrants travel from Maja to Haqani to Imperial Prime. These trips are often taken in historic space ships that were built during the the Rebuilding. Turtle-Horse-Day Turtle-Horse Day is a fairly new holiday that originated in an obscure theater play and TV show shortly after the split between House Vela and House Pyxis. It has since become a public holiday in both Houses, commonly celebrated by expressing the commonalities and differences of the Houses. It is also the day of the year where families torn apart by the split come together to honor and strengthen their bonds by sharing a meal and stories about their ancestors. This often ends in heavy drinking and partying. Cuisine Entertainment Rumors There are rumors abound regarding a mysterious font of knowledge maintained by House Vela, commonly referred to as the Secret Library among the more "romantic" spacer circles throughout the Sector. The exact nature of such a facility or entity is unknown and all rumors are unconfirmed. FAQ Creating a Character in your Faction Further Resources For main article, see 'House Vela Social Media' Category:Factions Category:Houses Major Category:Noble Houses Category:House Vela